Fuel systems for modern internal combustion engines commonly include an electric fuel pump which uses electricity as the power source to pump fuel from a fuel tank to the internal combustion engine. Some fuel systems operate by using a fuel pump control module to drive the electric fuel pump using pulse width modulation in order to cause the electric fuel pump to pump fuel to the internal combustion at a pressure that is required to satisfy the operating demands of the internal combustion engine. An engine control module determines, based on operating conditions of the internal combustion engine, a pressure that is required to operate the internal combustion engine, and the fuel pump control module varies the flow rate produced by the electric fuel pump in order to maintain the determined pressure. The fuel pump control module includes electronics which produce heat during operation thereof. In order to maintain satisfactory operation of the fuel pump control module, this heat needs to be dissipated.
In one known arrangement, a heat sink is provided in thermal contact with the fuel pump control module. The heat sink is also exposed to the atmosphere in order to transfer the heat to the atmosphere; however, the rate of heat transfer may not be sufficient to maintain a desired temperature of the fuel pump control module. In another arrangement as shown in United States Patent Application Publication No. US 2015/0176551 A1, the fuel pump control module is disposed within a compartment. A fuel conduit communicating fuel from the electric fuel pump is routed into the compartment where a heat sink is placed in thermal communication with the fuel pump control module and the heat is transferred from the heat sink to the fuel flowing through the fuel conduit. However, routing the fuel conduit into the compartment containing the fuel pump control module may be difficult to implement and fuel vapor or any liquid fuel that may leak at connections of the fuel conduit are communicated directly to the compartment.
What is needed is a fuel system which minimizes or eliminates one or more of the shortcomings as set forth above.